Rock-drill



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheetl A. J. SYPHER.

ROGK DRILL.

No. 403,496. Patented May 14, 1889.

Jim/027122211;

(No Model.) I s Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. J. SYPHER.

ROCK DRILL.

No. 403,496. Patented May 14, 1889.

Ade's't/ .Tzrve g 1 MM 5445 N PETERS. Pholu-Lnlw m her. Washlnghm. D. c.

t ,e e h S S +u e e h S 3 D E- L H P YD S R A (No Model.)

Patented May 14, 1889.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM .I. SYPIIER, OF IRON MOI NTAIN, MISSOURI.

ROCK-DRILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,496, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed November 27, 1838 Serial N0. 9Z,021. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM J. SYPHER, of Iron Mountain, Missouri, have made anew and useful Improvement in Rock-Drills and Analogous Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The improvement relates, mainly, to the means for cushioning the cylinder-piston and to the valvular mechanism, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed, aided by the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of the improved mechanism on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2, which in turn is a cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan of the cylinder, its head, and also the valve-chest removed; Fig. 4, a section on the line t of Fig. 5, which in turn is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, but showing the piston in a different position in the cylinder; Fig. 6, another view similar to that of Figs. 1,5, but showing the piston in a third position in the cylinder; Fig. 7, a view of that face of the valve-chest which is applied to the cylinder, and Fig. 8 a cross-section on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6.

The same letters of reference denote the same parts.

A represents the cylinder; B, the valvechamber; 0, the drill-chuck; D, the piston, and E, Fig. 2, the valve. These, as well as the minorparts of the construction, are shaped and combined in the customary manner, saving as modified or supplemented by the improvement under consideration.

A feature of the improvement is, as stated, the means for cushioning the piston and especially on its instroke.

In Letters Patent No. 34:8,175, granted me August 24:, 1886, for an improvement in steam rock-drills, means for cushioning the piston are shown. is driven by means of live steam admitted into the ends, alternately, of the cylinder, and to cushion the piston. The inlet for said steam is arranged a certain distance, say about one and one-half inch in an ordinary rock-drill, from the cylinder-head, and between the position of said inlet and the cylinder-head another steam-passage leads into the cylinder. This last-named steam-passage In that construction the piston.

is a branch leading from the first-named or main steam-passage, and it is provided with a valve which seats toward the steam-supply. A

steam space is thus formed at the end of the cylinder in which the live steam, by the movement of the piston past the main inlet, is compressed and a cushion thereby form ed for the piston. As long as the steam-pressure Within said space is less than the pressure within the steam-passage thevalveunseats an (I live steam enters the space but as soon as the steam by the movement of the piston is compressed to a degree greater than that of the boiler-pressure the valve seats and the steam within the space is further compressed. To this method of forming the steam-cushion there is this objection: The admission and the retention of the steam within the cushioning-space is controlled by a valvular system separate from the piston, and a long lead has to be given to the main valve. This in turn increases the proportions and weight of the engine, and under some circumstances, as when the valve .is slow in its action, the steam is not admitted with sufficient promptness to the cushion: spaces to form the desired cushion.

In the present construction there are the usual steam-passages, F and F, for admitting the steam to and exhausting it from the cylinder, and there is a steam-space, G, for the piston to be cushioned in; but in addition to the passages F F, and entirely distinct therefrom, is another steam-passage, H, through which live steam is delivered into the cushioning-space G, and such delivery is controlled by the piston itself, and as follows: d (1' represent recesses formed in the pistonsurface and, respectively, toward the ends of the piston. As the piston is making its instroke, the parts being so relatively contrived that portion 61 of the piston, which is between the recesses d d,and which is equal in diameter to the bore of the cylinder, does not pass the inlet h to the passage H until the inner end, 01 of the piston is about to cover the outlet f from the passage F, and the recess d to take live steam from the port I, Figs. 1, 5, 7. As soon as the recess d comes opposite the port I and the inlet h, live steam passes from the port I into the recess d, thence into the passage H, and thence through the outlet- IOC , valve disks.

h into the steai'n-cushioning space. The piston continuing to move inward covers the outlet f and then the inlet h, theoutlet f being closed by the part (1 and the inlet h by y the part (1 of the piston. There is now no outlet for the steam which has been admitted into the steam-cushioning space, and the piston continuing to move inward is surely cushioned. The pent-up steam serves to initiate the return of the piston, and live steam is also again admitted through the passage H, and the outstroke of the piston is completed by means of the live steam admitted through the outlet f into the cylinder. The piston may be similarly cushioned at the end of its outstroke, especially when the improvement is being applied to coal-cutting machines, to which end a passage similar to the passage II, a port similar to the port I, and the recess cl may be used, but respectively suitably arranged to conduct the live steam to the out end of the cylinder on the outstroke of the piston in manner similar to that above described in conducting it to the in end of the cylinder. The steam admitted into the cushioning-space is, on the returnstroke of the piston, exhausted through the passage F. The passage for admitting the live steam to the recess d cl of the piston is not controlled by the valve, and it is always open to the main steam-supply; hence-whenever steam is passing through the valve-chamber to drive the piston there is a current wholly independent of the valve movement passing to the cylinder to. be used in cushioning-the piston. This last-named steam-current may be delivered in various ways to the cylinder, and after it has been delivered into the interior of the cylinder and into the space formed by the cylinder-recess d, in conjunc-- tion with the cylinder-shell, it can be conducted by any suitable passage to the cushioning-space. The most convenient location for the last-named passage H is through the cylinder-shell, as shown. The most desirable method of supplying the cushioning-current to the cylinder is through the steam-chest and in connection with the valvular system of the drill, which will now be described.

B represents the valve-chamber. The steam is supplied thereto through the inlet b and is exhausted therefrom through the outlet 12.

The valve E is a steam-driven one, and it consists of a stem, (2, and four disks, 6' e e e, formingwhat may be termed a three-spool valve, and which in its operation is moved longitudinally to and fro in the valve-chamber, which in turn is arranged crosswise upon the cylinder, substantially as is represented. The seat E of the valve E is constructed as follows: In its general outline it is tubular, to receive and to provide for the movement of the valve. The diameter of its end portions, 17 b and of the intermediate portions or bridges, b b b b, conforms to that of the Between the various bridges and end portions recesses 11 b b 17 Z) are formed in the seat. The recessesv extend, preferably, entirely around the seat, and they communicate, respectively, with the following ports: The middle recess, b connects with the steam-inlet b, Figs. 1, 5, and also, with the port 5 in the steam-chest. The recesses b 11 communicate, respectively, with the passages F F, Fig. 2, and the recesses b b communicate, respectively, with ports 12 I), Fig. 4, which in turn lead to the exhaustroutlet b. The valve is operated as follows: A portion of the live steam which enters through the passages b 12 and thence through the port I into the recess 61, passes from said recess into apassage, K, Figs. 8, 7, which-leads through the cylinder-shelland then through the valve-chamber shell, and finally leads into the end space 12 Fig. 4., at the end of the valve-chamber, where it acts upon the valve and moves it, say, into the position represented in Fig. 2. In this position of the valve the live steam isbein g delivered through the recess 12 and passage F into the cylinder at one, the in end, thereof, and is being ex- .hausted through the passage F and recesses Z2 Z) b b. As soon as the piston has moved to cause its portion d to cover the passage K, the live steam in the end space 11 leaks past the disk 6 into the recess b and exhausts therefrom. The piston then continues to move outward, and the recess d is similarly brought into coincidence with the port I, as shown in Fig. 6, whereupon a portion of the live steam is delivered through a port, K, to the end space b at the opposite end of the valve-chamber, causing the valve to be moved in the opposite direct-ion, and the steam is then exhausted from the cylinder through the passage F and recesses 12 6 :19 h, and the live steam is delivered into the cylinder through the recess Z7 and passage F. The

piston now commences its inward stroke, and

continues to move inward until its portion (1 covers the port I. The steam in the end' space b then leaks past thedisk 8 into the recess (2 and thence is exhausted through the outlet b, so at each stroke of the valve E the steam which has effected the stroke is removed from the valve-chamber by allowing it to leak past the disk against which it has pre-' viously exerted its expansive force. The movements of the cylinder-piston and the valve E are relatively so timed that after the valve has been moved in one direction there is an interval of time before the steam acts upon the opposite end of the valve E, and it is during the interval that the steam can leak to advantage past the disk confining it. So far as this method of moving the valve and then exhausting the steam used in moving it is concerned, I desire to claim it, irrespective of the special means employed in introducing and exhausting the steam used in driving the cylinder-piston.

So far as cutting off the cushioning-current is concerned, I desire not to be restricted to any particular number or arrangement of recesses in the piston; but I prefer the number and arrangement of recesses shown, as thereby a shorter piston and cylinder can be used, which is desirable in many positions in drillingsuch, for instance, as occur in driving entries and in stoping.

In the foregoing description steam is referred to as the motive power. I desire not to be restricted thereto, as other gaseous agentscompressed air, for instancecan be employed to operate this improved mechanism, and hence I wish it to be understood wherever the term steam is used in this specification that compressed air or the name of any other suitable gaseous agent can be used in its place.

The steam-chest herein named is that portion of the valve-chamber which for the time being is included between the disks 6 e of the valvethat is, in the position of the valve as shown in Fig. 2 the steam-chest extends from the bridge 19 to the bridge I), and when the valve is shifted into its opposite position the steam-chest extends from the bridge b to the bridge If. The steam-chest is thus a shifting one, but always in connection with the live-steam inlet and outlet, for by the time the valve has been shifted to open one of the ports F F it is in position to close the other of said ports. Those portions of the valve which are respectively beyond the disks 6 e serve to form the valve into, as I prefer to call it, a three-spool valve. The two outer disks, 6 e serve mainly as pistons whereon alternately the live steam acts to effect the throw of the valve. The disks e 6 never cover any of the ports; but they, in conjunction with the adjacent diskthat is, the disk ewith the disk 6 and the disk 6 with the disk 6 are alternately utilized in the movement of the valve by being made to convert a portion of the valve-chamber into a port through which the steam is exhausted, and such port, it will be noticed, takes the exhaust-steam not only from the cylinder, but also from the space in the valve-chamber without the outermost disknamely, the space 11 or Z2 as the case may be. An important advantage accruing from this method of constructing the valve is that the valve can be much lighter in weight than those said cushioning steam-passage being-independent of said other steam-passages, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the valve-chamber, the cylinder, the passages F F, the port I, the passage H, and the piston having the two recesses d d, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the cylinder A, having the cushioning steam-passage H, as described, and the piston having the two rccesses d 01, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the valve-chamber, the port I, the cushioning steam-passage H, as described, and the piston having the two recesses 01 01, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the cylinder and the piston, said cylinder having the port I, and the passages K K, and said piston having the recesses d and d, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination of the cylinder, the Valve-chamber, the valve, and the piston, said cylinder having the port I, said valve-chamber having the valve-seat and the spaces 1) 12 said valve having the disks 6 a, said piston having the recesses d d, and said cylininder and valve-chamber together having the ports K K, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the valve-chamber, the valve-seat, the spaces h Z2 the recesses b b b b, the outlet 5, and the valve having the end disks, 6 6 substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination of the valve-chamber, the valve-seat, and the valve, said chamber having the inlet b, the exhaust-outlet b, the live-steam outlet 11 the recesses and spaces 11 b b 17 b 17 b Z1 19", and said valve c011- sisting of the stem and the four disks, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the valve-chamber having the bridges b b b b, with the longitudinally-moving valve having the stem and the disk 6- 6 the steam-inlet b, and the passages F F, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the valve-chamber having the recesses b b b b Z1 b, the bridges b If, and the outlet 1), with the longitudinally-moving triple-spool valve, and the ports F F, substantially as described.

11. The combination of the valve-chamber having the spaces and recesses 17 b b Z2 Z1 Z9 I2 b the bridges b b, the outlet 1), with the longitudinally-moving triple-spool valve, and the ports F F, substantially as described.

Witness my hand this 10th day of November, 1888.

ABRAHAM J. SYPHER.

Witnesses:

C. D. MooDY, D. W. O. SANFORD.

ICC 

